Cubs MLB Roster

Cubs Organizational Depth Chart
40-Man Roster Info

40 players are on the MLB RESERVE LIST (roster is full) 

28 players on MLB RESERVE LIST are ACTIVE, and twelve players are on OPTIONAL ASSIGNMENT to minors. 

Last updated 3-26-2024
 
* bats or throws left
# bats both

PITCHERS: 15
Yency Almonte
Adbert Alzolay 
Javier Assad
Jose Cuas
Kyle Hendricks
* Shota Imanaga
Caleb Kilian
Mark Leiter Jr
* Luke Little
Julian Merryweather
Hector Neris 
* Drew Smyly
* Justin Steele
Jameson Taillon
* Jordan Wicks

CATCHERS: 2
Miguel Amaya
Yan Gomes

INFIELDERS: 7
* Michael Busch 
Nico Hoerner
Nick Madrigal
* Miles Mastrobuoni
Christopher Morel
Dansby Swanson
Patrick Wisdom

OUTFIELDERS: 4
* Cody Bellinger 
Alexander Canario
# Ian Happ
Seiya Suzuki
* Mike Tauchman 

OPTIONED: 12 
Kevin Alcantara, OF 
Michael Arias, P 
Ben Brown, P 
Alexander Canario, OF 
Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF 
Brennen Davis, OF 
Porter Hodge, P 
* Matt Mervis, 1B 
Daniel Palencia, P 
Keegan Thompson, P 
Luis Vazquez, INF 
Hayden Wesneski, P 

 



 

Minor League Rosters
Rule 5 Draft 
Minor League Free-Agents

Cubs Trade for Kevin Gregg

UPDATE: The Miami Herald says it's for 4-star prospect Jose Ceda. Shiite. Too much, way, way too much. And since Ceda was one of the possible names going to San Diego for Jake Peavy, you have to think that ship is about to sail.

Double check my work if you wish, but I believe Gregg is set to be a free agent after 2009 and is arbitration eligible for this year. He made $2.5M last year.


 

Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Cubs have acquired Marlins relief pitcher Kevin Gregg. The 30-year old pitcher was the Marlins closer for the better part of two seasons racking up 61 saves and ERA's of 3.54 and 3.41 respectively. He strikes out nearly a batter per inning but walks a few too many guys for my tastes. I'm sure the first reaction will be that Kerry Wood is definitely a goner, but my guess is that it's just a possible back-up plan as Gregg could certainly slide into a set-up role. Even if Wood goes, I'd rather see Carlos Marmol in the closer role.

Of course, whenever a Cubs trade goes down, the first question is who do the Cubs get and the second question is what did they give up? Rosenthal don't have the answer on the second part yet, but I'll update as soon as someone finds out.

Comments

I don't think acquiring Gregg means the end of Wood, as Hendry has stated he's still talking to Wood's agent daily, but it would just appear that this trade is currently just to replace Howry and a fallback option in case Wood doesn't resign. That said, Ceda is too much to give up when you consider what the Marlins just gave to the Nats for two more useful pieces in Willingham and Olsen. Ceda doesn't appear to be a lock prospect by any means given his control issues and lack of any pitch outside of a near 100 FB but it's still too much to give up on a setup man who will likely get a bump up to around $4 million in arbitration. It would also seem to nearly put a nail in the coffin on a Peavy trade unless he himself vetoes the deal to the Braves.

If Gregg has a good year, he could be at least a Type B, if not A, after the season right? Is Ceda worth a MLB ready power arm + the potential draft picks?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I think you guys are overrating Ceda a bit. There's not much chance he'd outperforrm Gregg in 2009, and in 2010, as has pointed out, there's a pretty good chance Gregg is going to turn into two top 60 draft picks. He likely represents a $4 to $6 million saving over Wood, which can be put towards the Dempster/Lowe/Peavy/Sabathia/Bradley/Ibanez fund. He's a guy who's shown the ability to close games in the 9th- and that right there is worth at least $4 million in the FA market (see Borowski or T. Jones for reference).

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

you just don't find too many guys that can top 95 mph consistently and I believe Ceda can. I don't feel like looking for the article, but Baseball America had something on it last year about all the pitchers with a fastball clocked over 95 over the last 5 or so years in the minors. It's pretty much a who's who of good pitchers.

a lot has to do with that I don't think Gregg is all that great. Way too many walks, pitcher-friendly environment, etc, etc...

guess he throws a splitter that he gets away from a lot, maybe he'll get back to it.

[ ]

In reply to by Chad

Did Andy Sisco hit 95+ consistently? I honestly don't remember. He was suppose to have a good curve I know. He obviously is loaded with talent or the Royals and WSox wouldn't have wanted him.

Sisco's problem is he's an ass who doesn't care about playing baseball. Never really got in shape and got in some serious shit in the minors with the Cubs...in-fighting, etc.

Getting Gregg makes complete sense for the Cubs, I just don't like giving up Ceda for it. It being the Marlins though, we can get him back in 3 yrs when he gets expensive for the player or players we drafted with the picks for Wood or Gregg. 

[ ]

In reply to by The Real Neal

not sure where Sisco is now, I think he had TJ surgery, but if he can top 95, he'll get about 10 more chances in the majors if he wants them.

Bobby Jenks comes to mind. It only took one team for him to turnaround but the Angels were done with his antics as well. Actually probably the reason the Wsox went after Sisco.

[ ]

In reply to by Chad

So, giving up a guy who might be good but probably won't for a known quantity is a good thing.

The Red Sox and Larry Anderson disagree...

there's numerous times where giving up a prospect has proved stupid, this may very well be one of them. Or it may not.

Look, the trade makes sense for the Cubs and Ceda may flame out, so may Gregg to be honest. His ERA and walk rates don't particularly impress me, not for pitching in Florida and the NL East.

On the other hand, the Cubs scouting department is usually pretty good, so we'll see. I just don't like wasting anything useful for a middle reliever. 

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

But the expectation is that is going to be a middling closer or middle reliever. I do agree that it's a bad trade if you don't make Gregg the closer, though. $4.5 million or whatever is FA price for competent setup men. It's only his 'proven' closer abiity that makes him valuable. Trading for a 'closer' and pitching him in the 7th, doesn't make much sense. He sure had a bad home/road split last year when it comes to control 20 BB/ 19 K's on the road. That came out of the blue, it never happened before.

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

I can't think of an example where a traded a minor league closer and got burned on it. Kazmir is the most recent example of a rent-a-pitcher deal gone bad that I can think of, but I think the Mets got a year and a half of Zambrano, or traded for him with the intent of signing him. It's pretty rare that a high upside pitcher is moved to a closer's role at such a young age. If memory serves, according to AZ Phil, when we got Ceda he was a one-pitch pitcher, so maybe the Cubs thought having him add two pitches wasn't really reasonable.

Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why?Why? Can anyone predict what JH will say at the Press Conference? I will start: "Anytime you can get one of the game's premier relievers, you HAVE to do it..."

fwiw, Gregg had knee issues at the end of the season and surgery this offseason. Says he'll be ready by spring training. He also blew 9 saves last year.

Honestly, as Bruce Levine said a couple weeks ago, "Hendry hung on the the wrong lefty (Cotts)" And, we still do not have a lockdown LH reliever, correct?

Confirm by WSCR after Hendry press conference. Wood wants 3 year deal, Hendry said Cubs could not do it.

Well that sucks, because now our bullpen just got a little bit weaker. Kevin Gregg is ok, but that is about it, and he doesn't have an electric arm. I put him more in Dempster territory as a reliever/closer. He is going to frustrate the shit out of fans by walking the tight rope in games. Hoffman is gone in SD, bring him in. I would rather have him than Gregg. Does this mean Marmol is our closer now? The 7th and 8th innings are going to be rough without him. I really put Marmol as our team MVP for coming in games like that and shutting the door on teams. The Wood-Marmol connection was a main reason we won so many games.

Funny, what I really hope is that Wood doesn't go somewhere and eventually hurt himself as a starter. I'll be rooting for him.

I would not shed a tear if Dempster doesn't come back. Your going to give that many years and that many $$$'s when he has never proven he can do anything good in back to back years? Let his ass walk and let his new team wonder how he went from a 2.96 ERA one year to a 4.50 one the next. All the while paying a cool 15 or so million a year for that. Mmmm yeah pass.

So if Cubs rotation next year is- Z Lilly Harden\Marshall Smardzja Marquis I'm guessing the money not spent on Wood and Dempster equals one great bat or two good bats?

[ ]

In reply to by Rob G.

If no Dempster, no Wood, and no Peavy, I'd expect the Cubs to sign Lowe (I'd much rather have him than Burnett or Sheets), Samardzija to be used as a starter (either in the majors or in AAA to get ready for the majors) and for the Cubs to get a lefty bat to play RF either via free agency or trade. I'm disappointed by this trade, though. Gregg is good not great. You really send off one of your better trade pieces in order to get a good not great reliever? It's not like we have lots of high-upside pitching prospects.

If Dempster doesn't come back and there's no Peavy, the rotation: Zambrano Lilly Harden Marquis Marshall/Guzman/Samardzija/Hart/Hill? I'd feel better with Demp back, myself.

No way you can give "DL Woody" three years as a closer. I understand. I will miss him as well. HE collected many, many paychecks while not coming close to the pitching mound. It is sad for everyone. But last year was a nice way to finish his career with the Cubs - if it is.

I put on the other post- Hendry- "Kerry understood that our priority right now is to shore up the rotation."

Will refrain from judging until I see how the rest of the moves work out. But initial reaction is "no good shall come of this."

You guys must be crazy. Gregg is a proven MLB reliever, Ceda is not, and may never be. We need the team to be as strong as it can be for this coming season. Ceda for Gregg is an upgrade in that regard. If you could make a similar upgrade 30 times all over the roster, you do it.

my thought isn't that Gregg is a closer... Marmol should be fun in the 9th, but this sure should be an upgrade over Howry.

I understand saying farewell to Woody if he wanted 3 years and even to acquiring Gregg. Not for Ceda though. *Sigh* I think if Peavy were coming here, he would have been acquired by now. The Pads will string the Braves out for a few more days and then trade him for something like Escobar, Flowers, Boyer, and Reyes. Even if we make a run at Lowe, Burnett, or Sheets, the field of our adversaries opens up. Lowe wants to return to Boston and Burnett is known to intrigue the Yankees. This could get ugly quick and we're left with a vastly inferior rotation. If Z has a down year and/or Harden gets hurt, we could be looking at a long year. The problem with the idea about acquiring "one great bat or two good bats" is where do those bats come from? This FA market is much deeper and better in pitching than hitting, and most of the premier bats up for grabs (Tex, Furcal, etc.) are likely to go elsewhere.

Pat Kane-- I'm with you. There was zero chance the Cubs would have Ceda in the big league bullpen in 2009. Zero. Nil. Nada. He would have started the year in AA and if he could continue to find the strike zone (not a guarantee with big Jose), he'd be promoted to Iowa mid-season. Best case scenario he gets a cup of coffee in September and gets ready for a 2010 debut. And of course, there is the non-trivial chance that he simply flames out. Gregg replaces Howry at lower cost, Marmol replaces Wood at SIGNIFICANTLY lower cost, Shark stays for the 7th inning, and the Cubs have $6MM to $7MM/year to throw at an Adam Dunn or Bobby Abreu. What's not to like? If Hendry can eat half of Marquis' money and move him, too, he's got the coin together to afford Dunn or Abreu. Cubs fans consistently overvalue our prospects. Ceda for Gregg has the potential to be a long-term loser, but it will almost surely be a short-term winner. I like it. Sorry to see Woody leave though, my brain says yes but my heart says no.

[ ]

In reply to by Jim Hickmans Bat

not sure how anyone can say that Ceda would have 0% chance to be in the Cubs bullpen at some point in 2009 after Marmol, Samardzija, Hart, Petrick, Gallagher, etc have all seen the majors over the last few years. Even if Ceda had started in AA, which I don't think is a give-in since he ended there last year and pitched well, that he would certainly have a shot to be in the majors in 2009.

Recent comments

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    I expect OF Christian Franklin to have a breakout season at AA Tennessee in 2024. In another organization that doesn't have PCA, Caissie, K. Alcantara, and Canario in their system, C. Franklin would be a Top 10 prospect. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    The Reds trading Joe Boyle for Sam Moll at last year's MLB Trade Deadline was like the Phillies trading Ben Brown to the Cubs for David Robertson at the MLB TD in 2022. 

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Javier Assad started the Lo-A game (Myrtle Beach versus Stockton) on the Cubs backfields on Wednesday as his final Spring Training tune-up. He was supposed to throw five innings / 75 pitches. However, I was at the minor league road games at Fitch so I didn't see Assad pitch. 

  • crunch (view)

    cards put j.young on waivers.

    they really tried to make it happen this spring, but he put up a crazy bad slash of .081/.244/.108 in 45PA.

  • Childersb3 (view)

    Seconded!!!

  • crunch (view)

    another awesome spring of pitching reports.  thanks a lot, appreciated.

  • Arizona Phil (view)

    Here are the Cubs pitchers reports from Tuesday afternoon's Cardinals - Cubs game art Sloan Park in Mesa:

    SHOTA IMANAGA
    FB: 90-92 
    CUT: 87-89 
    SL: 82-83 
    SPLIT: 81-84
    CV: 73-74 
    COMMENT: Worked three innings plus two batters in the fourth... allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits (six singles and two doubles) walked one, and struck out six (four swinging), with a 1/2 GO/AO... he threw 73 pitches (52 strikes - 10 swing & miss - 19 foul balls)... surrendered one run in the top of the 1st on a one-out double off Cody Bellinger's glove in deep straight-away CF followed one out later by two consecutive two-out bloop singles, allowed two runs (one earned) in the 2nd after retiring the first two hitters (first batter had a nine-pitch AB with four consecutive two-strike foul balls before being retired 3 -U) on a two-out infield single (weak throw on the run by Nico Hoerner), a hard-contact line drive RBI double down the RF line, and an E-1 (missed catch) by Imanaga on what should been an inning-ending 3-1 GO, gave up another run in the 3rd on a two-out walk on a 3-2 pitch and an RBI double to LF, and two consecutive singles leading off the top of the 4th before being relieved (runners were ultimately left stranded)... threw 18 pitches in the 1st inning (14 strikes - two swing & miss, one on FB and the other on a SL - four foul balls), 24 pitches in the 2nd inning (17 strikes - three swing & miss, one on FB, two SPLIT - six foul balls), 19 pitches in the 3rd inning (13 strikes - seven swing & miss, three on SL, two on SPLIT, one on FB - three foul balls), and 12 pitches without retiring a batter in the top of the 4th (8 strikes - no swing & miss - four foul balls)... Imanaga throws a lot of pitches per inning, but it's not because he doesn't throw strikes...  if anything, he throws too many strikes (he threw 70% strikes on Tuesday)... while he gets a ton of swing & miss (and strikeouts), he also induces a lot of foul balls because he doesn't try to make hitters chase his pitches by throwing them out of the strike zone... rather, he uses his very diverse pitch mix to get swing & miss (and lots of foul balls as well)... he also is a fly ball pitcher who will give up more than his share of HR during the course of the season...   
     
    JOE NAHAS
    FB: 90-92 
    SL: 83-85 
    CV: 80-81 
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day... relieved Imanaga with runners at first and second and no outs in the top of the 4th, and after an E-2 catcher's interference committed by Miguel Amaya loaded he bases, Nahas struck out the side (one swinging & two looking)... threw 16 pitches (11 strikes - two swinging)...   

    YENCY ALMONTE
    FB: 89-92 
    CH: 86 
    SL: 79 
    COMMENT: Threw an eight-pitch 5th (five strikes - no swing & miss), with a 5-3 GO for the first out and an inning-ending 4-6-3 DP after a one-out single... command was a bit off but he worked through it...   

    FRANKIE SCALZO JR
    FB: 94-95
    CH: 88 
    SL: 83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 6th inning... got the first outs easily (a P-5 and a 4-3 GO) on just three pitches, before allowing three consecutive two-out hard-contact hits (a double and two singles), with the third hit on pitch # 9 resulting in a runner being thrown out at the plate by RF Christian Franklin for the third out of the inning... 

    MICHAEL ARIAS
    FB: 94-96
    CH: 87-89
    SL: 82-83
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and allowed a hard-contact double on the third pitch of the 7th inning (a 96 MPH FB), and the runner came around to score on a 4-3 GO and a WP... gave up two other loud contact outs (an L-7 and an F-9)... threw 18 pitches (only 10 strikes - only one swing & miss)... stuff is electric but still very raw and he continues to have difficulty commanding it, and while he has the repertoire of a SP, he throws too many pitches-per-inning to be a SP and not enough strikes to be a closer... he is most definitely still a work-in-progress...   

    ZAC LEIGH: 
    FB: 93-94 
    CH: 89 
    SL: 81-83 
    CV: 78
    COMMENT: Was called up from the AA Tennessee group at Minor League Camp for the day and tossed a 1-2-3 8th (4-3 GO, K-swinging on a sweeper, K-looking on another sweeper)... threw 14 pitches (11 strikes - one swing & miss - eight foul balls)... kept pumping pitches into the strike zone but had difficulty putting hitters away (ergo a ton of foul balls)... FB velo is nowhere near the 96-98 MPH it was a couple of years ago when he was a Top 30 prospect, but his secondaries are better...   

    JOSE ROMERO:  
    FB: 93-95
    SL: 82-84
    COMMENT: Was called up from the Hi-A South Bend group at Minor League Camp for the day and worked the 9th (14 pitches - only six strikes- no swing & miss) and allowed a solo HR after two near-HR fly outs to the warning track, before getting a 3-1 GO to end the inning... it was like batting practice when he wasn't throwing pitches out of the strike zone...

  • crunch (view)

    pablo sandoval played 3rd and got a couple ABs (strikeout, single!) in the OAK@SF "exhibition"

    mlb officially authenticated the ball of the single he hit.  nice.

    he's in surprisingly good shape considering his poor body condition in his last playing seasons.  he's not lean, but he looks healthier.  good for him.

  • crunch (view)

    dbacks are signing j.montgomery to a 1/25m with a vesting 20m player option.

    i dunno when the ink officially dries, but i believe if he signs once the season begins he can't be offered a QO...and i'm not sure if that thing with SD/LAD in korea was the season beginning, either.

  • crunch (view)

    sut says imanaga getting the home opener at wrigley (game 4 of the season).